ABOUT US

Our Goal is to Go Out of Business

Ideally, a day will come when we will no longer be "needed". However, until an all too large segment of America's population learns that pets need to be kept indoors, vaccinated, given heart-worm treatment, and most importantly spayed and neutered - shelters - especially the ones located in America's southern states - Wings of Rescue will be needed.

Wings of Rescue's mission is to fly large-scale transports of at-risk pets from over-crowded shelters and disaster areas to shelters where there is empty kennel space and waiting adopters. This coupled with our "Operation Pit Stop" program, which provides free spay/neuter procedures to low-income families' pets greatly reduces shelter euthanasia.

We Work Closely with Our Many Partner Shelters

Though pet over-population is a global crisis, we know that effective solutions begin at the local level where dedicated rescue workers and volunteers put in the hard work to save pets. Our role is to help those groups by widening the options they have in placing unwanted pets into new homes.

Our Network is Extensive, Efficient and Responsive

Thanks to our broad network of pilots, transportation professionals, and logistics experts, we are able to efficiently transport large numbers of pets, keeping our cost-per-pet-saved as low as possible and an affordable and practical option in the arsenal of tools available to the rescue community.

We Respond Quickly, Decisively and With Authority

As an organization with low overhead and little bureaucracy, we can get our planes in the air and on their way to help pets within hours of a triggering event. Our rescue partners on the ground know that with a single phone call they will have our complete attention, timely response and full support.

More About Our Partners

Meet the Wings of Rescue Core Team

We depend on a large network of shelter and rescue-group partners and volunteers, pilots willing to give their time, and many corporate supporters and individual donors. Our core management and leadership team all bring experience and a strong commitment to saving pets.

Ric Browde

CEO & Co-President

Ric has led Wings of Rescue since 2017. Ric started as a shelter volunteer and animal activist in Los Angeles since 2003 and joined Wings of Rescue in 2014 – becoming a Board Member in 2015.

Nelda Corbell

Co-President

Nelda began her animal welfare journey in 2008 in the adoptions department at the largest nonprofit animal shelter in North Texas.

Cassie Davidson

Vice-President of Marketing & Communications

Cassie Davidson is the Vice-President of Marketing & Communications at Wings of Rescue, bringing over 16 years of dedicated experience in animal welfare to her role.

Gene Gable

Director of Media Relations

Gene has been with Wings of Rescue since 2021 and handles media relations, oversees the Wings of Rescue website and helps with fundraising.

David Chokachi

Flight Leader

You may know him from the red carpet or his iconic role as Cody Madison on Baywatch, but behind the Hollywood spotlight, David Chokachi is a devoted animal advocate using his platform to save lives. An accomplished actor with a career spanning hit shows and films, David brings more than star power to Wings of Rescue—he brings purpose.

Share Ross

Board Member

Share Ross has had an illustrious career in music, earning fame as the bassist of the platinum selling all female rockers Vixen, playing in Def Leppard's singer Joe Elliott’s solo band,

Fera Mostow

Board Member

Originally from Chicago, Fera has been practicing law in California (and is also licensed to practice law in Illinois and Nevada), for more than 35 years, first as an attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, and later as an entertainment lawyer for Paramount Pictures and the Walt Disney Studios.

Why Our Services Are Needed

A great deal of success in reducing unwanted pet populations has been achieved in recent years thanks in great measure to the implementation of successful spay-and-neuter programs, comprehensive behavior training, and low-cost vaccination clinics. The availability of educational resources has also proliferated, which helps give people the skills they need to successfully retain their pets and not discard them in shelters. Yet sadly in many areas, especially those that have been hard hit by economic and housing challenges, pet overpopulation and high euthanasia rates remain an issue. Irresponsible backyard breeding also contributes to the pet-population problem. This means that local shelters, which are already often underfunded, end up with far more pets than their staff and facilities can care for.

This is where we help. Wings of Rescue partners with outstanding shelters and a number of prominent rescue groups throughout North America to facilitate the transportation of at-risk pets. These partners not only have the available space to take in and care for our at-risk passengers, but also have dedicated staff and volunteers who work in their local communities finding responsible and loving individuals and families to adopt each and every rescue.

Wings of Rescue will never transport pets to communities where locally sheltered pets would be displaced by our arriving pets.

Wings of Rescue responds to nearly every major natural disaster in North America including hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and volcanos by delivering emergency humanitarian and veterinary aid as well as pet supplies to disaster victims throughout North America. Our planes fly to disaster areas loaded with emergency supplies and return with abandoned shelter pets who would have otherwise faced euthanasia to make room for the displaced pets entering shelters because of the catastrophic event.

Impact & Accountability

Our Fleet of Pressurized Aircraft

When Wings of Rescue started in 2012, we primarily used volunteer pilots flying their own planes. It quickly became clear, however, that the most efficient, safest and cost-effective way to save pet lives was to deploy larger, fully pressurized aircraft which could fly into a variety of conditions and airports, both in the United States and internationally. We currently use several aircraft, depending on the particular need, distance being flown and other considerations.

Embraer Brasilia 120 Turboprop

The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a twin turboprop airliner used extensively for passenger and freight operations around the world. Introduced in 1985, the plane quickly became a staple of the commuter-airline industry and is now used primarily for cargo transportation. The Brasilia is fully pressurized and temperature controlled, and all pets are flown in the main cabin by a crew consisting of pilot and copilot, along with a designated Wings of Rescue flight coordinator. It has a range of over 1,000 miles and can cruise at speeds up to 425 MPH.

Pilatus PC-12

The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland, since 1991. The PC-12 is the best-selling pressurized single-engine turbine-powered aircraft in the world and is designed to safely fly in a variety of conditions and rugged environments. With a cruise speed of 328 MPH and a range of over 2,000 miles, the Pilatus is perfect for many of our smaller transports and can be flown by a single pilot or in a pilot/co-pilot configuration.

Saab 340

The Saab 340 is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by Saab AB and Fairchild Aircraft. It's a popular regional airliner, known for its flexibility, comfort, reliability, and cost-effective performance

If You Are a Pilot and Would Like to Fly for Us

Wings of Rescue is looking for volunteer pilots who either own or has access to their own pressurized planes to fly missions for us. If you are a pilot with a pressurized aircraft, we’d love to hear from you. Your participation makes a lasting impact. By volunteering your time, skills, and aircraft, you are directly helping save lives and ensuring that animals are safely transported to new beginnings. Apply to Let the Fur Fly with Wings of Rescue today!

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